In addition to voice communication service, the recent mobile communication is developing in providing various services, such as access to Internet, distribution of streaming broadcasting, and distribution of contents such as music and images. In order to provide high-quality service to anywhere, enhancement in communication speed and expansion of wireless area is demanded.
For the above, Long Term Evolution (LTE), which is a developed form of 3rd Generation (3G), is specified and is put into commercial use.
Since a wireless communication scheme using LTE is highly compatible with that using 3G, LTE wireless areas (hereinafter simply called LTE areas) are being introduced so as to overlap 3G wireless areas, which are already put into practice over a large areas.
At the beginning of introducing LTE service, LTE areas are locally developed around stations and commerce facilities that expect a larger number of prospective users of LTE service and then areas that can receive LTE service seem to be widened.
For example, at the beginning of introducing LTE service when LTE areas are localized, subscribers (users) of LTE service may sometimes use mobile user terminals (hereinafter called 3G/LTE dual terminals) that can use both LTE service and 3G service.
Using a 3G/LTE dual terminal makes the user of the LTE service to receive the LTE service in LTE areas and to receive the 3G service in 3G areas that are not put into LTE areas yet.
The position of an evolved Node-B (eNB) having a communication function compatible with LTE is determined by, for example, a station establishment planning system of a communication carrier. Therefore, the station establishment planning system preferably grasps LTE areas and 3G areas that are not put into LTE areas yet, so that stations (i.e., eNBs) can be efficiently arranged.
Furthermore, since users tend to desire LTE service, which is faster than 3G service, users are preferably notified of LTE areas and 3G areas that are not put into LTE areas yet.
Here, an example of a method of detecting above areas involves measuring a wireless wave from an eNB by an LTE wireless-wave measuring car (LTE measuring car) that is capable of measuring the wireless wave from an eNB and detects LTE areas on the basis of the result of the measurement. In the above detection using an LTE measuring car, the above areas (i.e., LTE areas and 3G areas) can be detected by measuring the wireless wave from an eNB by the LTE measuring car and managing the result of the measurement and the position of the LTE measuring car when the measurement is performed in association with each other.
In this case, the station establishment planning system preferentially arranges an eNB in a 3G area which is not put into an LTE area yet and which has a high population density on the basis of, for example, a result of the detection by the LTE measuring car and population information included in known region mesh information.
Also in this case, users can grasp LTE areas and 3G areas by accessing and browsing an area map indicating the LTE areas and the 3G areas which map is created on the basis of the result of the measurement by an LTE measuring car.
However, the method of detecting areas by the LTE measuring car may not measure wireless wave in areas privately owned, may have poor immediacy of detection result because it takes long time to measure wireless wave over a wide area, and may take costs for the measurement.